A Miami-based company, Ecofurbished, is the latest initiative to specifically form with the idea of addressing the electronic waste dilemma.

The venture will focus on refurbishing mobile phones, tablet computers and other electronic devices to certain specifications -- including working with original equipment manufacturers -- and then helping get them into the hands of consumers, businesses and government agencies that are looking for these sorts of devices. The organization also plans to donate items to charities, such as the Ernie Els Foundation, which addresses the learning challenges of autistic children.

"As school districts across the national attempt to modernize classrooms with new technologies, we are inadvertently widening the gap amount students whom do not have the personal resources or access to benefit from these advancements," said Octavio Visiedo, former superintendent for the Miami Dade Public School system, in a statement. "By using Ecofurbished products, school districts will be able to increase the number of devices available for students at a cost-effective price, thereby helping to bridge the educational digital divide."

Ecofurbished has opened a facility in partnership with GEEP Corp. (an R2-certified electronics recycler in Dallas) to handle the items that it can't completely refurbish.

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